Dental Insurance for 13 Mo Old?

My dentist said that they did not have to be seen until about 3. My son had an appointment for his cleaning and it was not too expensive, under $100, maybe even under $80. So if that helps.

I asked my dentist this at my last appointment and they said not to bring them in until they are 3. I was told even at that appt they won't do a whole lot but the child then has a chance to see what the dentist is like. My pediatrician gave me the same advice stating they don't need to go before they are 3 years old.

I think that my kids were around 3 years old the first time I brought them to the dentist, but I believe that some dentists want you to bring the kids in earlier. (Things have changed a lot in 10 years!) Your best bet might be to call your dentist and find out what they do at their office. If it doesn't cost any extra (or if the amount is minimal) you might want to put your son on your insurance.

we were told by our pediatrician to have our son start going to the dentist between the age of 2 and 3.

My personal opinion is take them between 3-4 years old. Unless a problem arises before then.

Do I think you should take a child to the dentist with 7 teeth? Probaly not. It's best to wait until most of their teeth are in so the dentist has something to work with here.

I did take my daughter in at age2 because she hit her front teeth and had nerve damage, at age 6 those same teeth are still discolored. But they didn't do much, just made sure it wasn't severly damaged. She didn't have her first cleaning til age3.

Then I recommend choosing a pediatric dentist unless you really love your own. They work with kids and it's just more kid friendly and if your child has any problems or cavaties they know how to work with them.

My neighbor just took her almost 2 year old in and they didn't do much. I guess it's your personal option and opinion.

My dentist said not before 3. Not sure why, but that's when we started going. If I were you, I'd wait a year to sign up for insurance.

my dentist said usually age 3 is ok for the 1st visit.

I believe the baby books and such recommend taking your child by their first birthday. However, when I spoke to my dental clinic they said they wanted to see my daughter at age 3 since they have more teeth (should have all they are going to get for baby teeth) and have more coordination. Certainly want the first visit to be a positive experience and to start them with healthy teeth.

We just went to the dentist for the first time last night. My daughter is 3 1/2 and it feels really good to have had a good experience. Hopefully each time will go well (like last night).

She has learned the dentist is not scary. :)

I would call your dentist to see what they recommend. In my opinion, going when the child is older and has more teeth is beneficial (like age 3). Keep up the brushing once (or twice) a day.

Good luck!

We were told around our daughter's 3rd birthday to start taking her to the dentist. My best suggestion would be to call a pediatric dentist and ask them, I am guessing that at 13 months, your son would not be ready & able (attention span & following directions issues) to sit down and have the exam quite yet.

Good Luck!!
A.

It depends on who you talk to some will say at about a year you should take them in but think about it a one year old won't sit most of the time it around 2,3,or even 4 depending on the kid. I used to work in a dental office and they say about 3. Just make sure that you are not giving them tons of juice and what juice you are giving them should be watered down. NO POP

We personally had all our kids on dental insurance from birth because our dental plan was a "family" plan. We ended up having to take my son into the dentist at 16 months because he had an extra front tooth that needed to be taken out.

I've heard between 3 and 4, but I took my son at 18 months, because he had an extra tooth I wanted to check out. I went to a pediatric dentist and they said that now days, because of all the candy and pop and juices kids are drinking, the pediatric dentists like to see kids between 18 and 24 months for the first time. It's really up to you.

We originally didn't have my son on our plan, but when my second child was born, we added it as family so we could take our oldest. I'm glad we did.

I take them to the dentist when they are 3 but have always had the insurance just in case of a chipped tooth or other dental problem. Usually you can only add them at open enrollment once a year so you'd hate to have a problem and have to wait months for the insurance to start.
J.

Some dental plans only let you add dependents and/or change the level of coverage every 3 years so I signed both my kids up for dental last year even though my son was only 9 mo at the time. If I didn't sign him up he would have to wait until he was almost 4 to see the dentist and I didn't want him to wait that long. Check with your insurance to see how often you can add dependents. If it is 1/year (during enrollment) and you can add him the following year I would wait but if your plan has a 3 year clause I would sign him up now.

I have a 2 1/2 year old. We took her to the dentist for the first time at 2 years old. I asked my doctor at what age you start going to the dentist and he said 3. i asked the dentist and he said at any time they have teeth. so i think you can take your child at any time. I would call the dentist office about it. our dentist offered a complimentary first visit just to get our daughter used to the process. they showed her all the equipement and we rode up and down in the chair, etc.
good luck!

We waited until our son was 3 to take him in on advice from the pediatrician and dentist. I just paid for the visit out of pocket. He just turned 3 in August and so one visit payment was cheaper than a year of premiums for the "family plan". Check with the dentist, it may be cheaper for you as well.

H. -

I have 2 young boys, so I was wondering too! I asked my dental hygienist, and she said that you should start bringing in your children at age 3.

I hope that helps!
D.

I took my daughter when she was 3 or 4. I would call your dentist to find out for sure when the first appointment should be.

We took our daughter to a pediatric dentist at 2 1/2 years of age. Our pediatrician said anytime between 2 1/2 - 3 years old for the first visit. We prepped her with a few books about the dentist and I told her what they were going to do. The key is to go to a pediatric dentist because they specialize in working with children. They have a ton of patience and know what to do and say so that the kids are comfortable. When we took her to her first visit at 2 1/2 yrs. old, she did awesome and even let them take x-rays, which is rare I guess. She is 4 now and has consistently gone to the dentist every 6 months for a check up and cleaning. We will take our younger daughter to the dentist starting at 2 yrs. old, just to get her used to it and get in the habit. This way, she and her sister will be on the same 6 month schedule. :)

Hi-
I brought both of my boys at 6 months with their erupting teeth just to expose them to a dentist visit and also check their teeth. Then, they went at 12 months and are on the 6 month scheduled visits. They are wonderful in the dental chair with the cleaning and everything - even better than some of the older kids and they are only 1 and 4.

Hi H.,

My dentist had me bring my 2 year old daughter along to my cleanings so she could sit in the chair and get used to the environment. When she turned 3 he wanted to start cleanings on her also. He said that was the average age.

Hope this helps!
S.

i would also second the age of 3-4. we are just adding our daughter who will be three next year. the dentist will do a lap exam if she is freaked out. they said they will go with how the child is acting...try to get a few pictures and do some brushing only if the child will let them.

check your insurance though...we can only make changes to our dental insurance every two years. so if i didnt add her next year, i would need to wait 2 years and she would be 5 at that time!

My dentist says between 3-4 years old, she said as long as your brushing them at home they should be fine. Typically kids start losing the first teeth they got in at around 6 so they aren't going to be in a very long time. When they do go the first time they are just making sure they got all their teeth and do a simple cleaning. Good Luck!

My dentist suggests early on if there appears to be a problem. Otherwise he was comfortable with me waiting until my son was 3. As for the insurance, I put my boys on immediately just because accidents can happen. If they fall and knock a tooth out then they are covered, and the cost for adding them typically is minimal. Just my opinion.

Dental insurance is such a cheap expenditure. I would get it just in case something happens during the year.

I also support the suggestion for a pediatric dentist. I took my son, who is autistic and has extreme sensitivity in his mouth, to the most wonderful dentist. The entire experience was fantastic and my son is looking forward to going back. I did not have such experiences as a child and I am terrified of the dentist to this day.

Our dentist recommended we bring our son in for his first dental exam when he turns 3.